DOH, not PAO should be probing Dengvaxia-linked deaths: Sotto

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) should play the lead role in investigating the deaths of children linked to Dengvaxia and not the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said Wednesday.

Sotto made this remark during the confirmation hearing of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III telling him that the DOH taking the lead would help build a “solid case.”

“If you’re going to be Secretary of Health, set your foot down and make the DOH the lead into these investigations especially scientific investigations,” Sotto told Duque.

Sotto questioned PAO’s ability to investigate the Dengvaxia-linked deaths claiming that “there was no such thing” as forensic experts in PAO.

“Is the Public Attorney’s Office now a medical group? The last time I heard, PAO is under the DOJ (Department of Justice) not DOH,” he added.

Duque told Sotto that PAO was investigating the Dengvaxia-related deaths on behalf of the parents and family members of the victims.